Fender.



Patented Jan. 2, i900.

J. B. REECE. FENDER.- (Application filed Feb. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

' wag UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES R. REEOE, OF ZIONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,700, dated January 2, 1 900.

Application filed February 6, 1899. Serial No.704fl58. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES R. REECE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zionville, in the county of YVatauga and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fenders for fireplaces or stoves, and has for its objects to provide an improved folding fender or fire-screen comprising series of reversely-hinged panels or sections of simple, compact, and durable construction capable of folding reversely one upon another and adapted to be hinged to the jambs of an open fireplace and to be extended at a suitable distance in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks and embers from flying out into the room and also to prevent the clothing of persons from becoming ignited and to protect children from danger of falling into the fire and to connect the adjacent front panels of the fender by a'spring that operates to pre vent the sagging of the fender'toward the fireplace.

My invention consists in features of construction and novel combinations of parts in a folding fire screen or fender to be hinged to the jambs of a fireplace, as hereinafter'more particularly set forth.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating this invention, Figure 1 is a perspective of one form of my improved foldingfender extended and set out in its operative position in front of a fireplace. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, the fireplace being shown in section and the fender being further represented in dotted lines as folded back at one side of the fireplace when not in use.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a fireplace, and 2 the jambs.

As shown, my sectional reversely-folding fender may consist of a continuous series of panels or sections 3,each filled with wire-gauze netting of suitable close mesh or other appropriate material capable of obstructing the passage of sparks and yet sufficiently open to readily allow the radiation of heat into the room. Each of the series of hinged panels 3 comprises horizontally arranged rods 4: and 5 at top and bottom, respectively. These rods 4 and 5 are each provided at their ends with eyes 6 for passage of vertical pintle-rods '7, by which the several panels of the fender are hinged together, so as to fold readilyone upon another and so as to allow the fender to be opened to give access to the fire. The rods 7 may be each headed at one end, and nuts 8 are provided to assist in holding the hinged panels in proper relation.

In a folding fender composed of acontinuously-connected series of hinged panels or sections one end of the entire fender will be hinged to or pivotally hung from one of the fireplace-jambs in such manner that when it is desired to employ the fender for its intended uses its several continuously-connected pan els may be readily opened out and extended across at the sides and in front of the stove or fireplace at a suitable distance therefrom and so as to have its other end detachably connected with the other j amb, as shown in Fig. 1. The hinged connection between the fender and one of the jambs of the fireplace may be conveniently elfected by means of staples 9 engaging eyes 6? at one end of the fender. The other end of the fender may be provided with eyes'6 to engage over hooks 10 on the other jamb. It will be readily understood that by disengaging the eyes 6 from the hooks 10 the several reversely-hinged panels of the fender can be folded back reversely or one panel onto another into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, all at one side of the fireplace.

In order to brace and impart a suitable stiffness to the hinged joint or joints of those pan els that are in front of the fireplace, so as to prevent the sagging of the fender toward the fireplace when the fender is extended for use, there is provided a spring 11, having one end secured at 12 to one of the horizontal rods of a fender-panel and extended across the hingejoint to detachably connect with a projection 13 on the corresponding horizontal rod of the adjacent panel. By means of this spring 11' the front of the fender is securely braced against any tendency to sagging inwardly to ward the fireplace. Before folding the fender back one end of the spring 11 must be detached, thus permitting all the hinged panels to be readily reversed one upon another.

It will be understood, of course, that the sev eral fender panels or sections may have any dimensions that may be necessary or desired and any number of panels may be employed.

Vihat I claim as my invention is-,

A fire screen or fender composed of a continuonsly-connected series of reversely-folding hinged panels each comprising an upper horizontally-arranged rod 4:, a lower horizontally-arranged rod 5, the ends of said rods being provided with eyes 6, Vertical pintle-rods 7 engaged in said eyes and nuts 8 on said pintle-r0ds to secure the several rods in position, one end of said fender being adapted and arranged for hinging to one jaxnb of a fireplace J. R. REEOE.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. REA, V. B. Knnnnn. 

